1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field waste disposal and, more particularly, to enhancements to a substantially closed system for disposing hazardous material, which can include harmful airborne substances (including vapors).
2. Description of the Related Art
The majority of trash receptacles include a lid, which is able to be opened, permitting waste to be placed inside. An interior bag of the trash receptacle is often able to be “tied” or otherwise manually sealed. Many types of refuse, however, can pose exposure hazards, which current trash disposal technologies fail to address. The hazards can result from airborne substances (which include vapors and air medium) being emitted from waste during the disposal process.
This can be true, for example, in a medical context, where bed sheets, gowns, linens, drinking cups, and other material are disposed of, each of which can contain traces of blood, sweat, and other body fluids, which can be hazardous to others. For instance, chemotherapy patients are occasionally irradiated, which results in their fluids containing traces of radioactivity to which waste disposal personnel at hospitals are constantly exposed. Additionally, airborne pathogens can be especially problematic for waste disposal employees at hospitals, who have a much higher than normal rate of health problems caused by constant exposure to hazardous material.
Other contexts where waste disposal practices are currently insufficient and/or dangerous include research lab waste disposal situations, toxic spill situations, generic hazmat situations, biological/chemical attacks in a terrorism/military situation, outbreak and epidemic situations, flooding and other national emergencies where mold, fungus, bacteria, viruses, and other potentially harmful substances are to be expected.
Public concern over the proper treatment and disposal of chemical waste products has increased over the past several years. This increase is due in part to an increased public awareness of dangerous chemicals being exposed to the environment that can have deleterious effects when improperly disposed of from within hospitals, out-patient clinics, and physicians' offices. Despite this increased awareness within limited contexts, few effective measures are being taken to resolve underlying problems. For example, hospitals currently have established awareness programs designed to teach its personnel to handle potentially harmful materials with care. These programs are designed to appease public pressure, but not to address the fundamental problem that current waste disposal techniques pose a health risk regardless of a level of care taken. What is needed is a new type of waste disposal receptacle, which minimizes (or eliminates) human contact with toxic wastes, which includes protection from airborne vapors.